EU officials have begun work on a plan to create a long-term, seven-year budget without the UK in a move that reflects mounting frustration that Britain’s demand for a spending freeze cannot be reconciled with the rest of the bloc, the world’s largest economy.
EU officials and national diplomats have been studying the legal and technical feasibility of devising such a budget, say people familiar with the discussions, ahead of a Brussels summit on Thursday, when the EU’s 27 heads of government will try to reach an agreement.
Prospects for the summit have darkened as several diplomats have concluded that it will be impossible to accommodate the UK’s demands, and are predicting failure.